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WtbbK blAlb U IN 1 V fc K b I I Y The Local business partners bleed purple see page 5 MONDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2005 wsusignpost.com VOLUME 67 ISSUE 59 u- -it h $5.7 million in student fees dished out to 25 groups By MARIA VILLASENOR managing editor The Signpost On Saturday, the fourth and final day of Student Fee Recommendation Committee T-r-infif-. -70-7 nnn re.jAnt fees was dispersed between 25 campus organizations. "This is one of the most , difficult years I've been associated with in a long time, and all of you did your jobs well," - said Toni Weight, SFRC co-chair and associate vice president of student affairs. Adding to the difficulty of dividing $5.7 million, the 13-member SFRC worked with about $20,000 less in fees this year than the last because enrollment fell. Most campus organizations requested larger budgets than they had last year. Due to limited funds, only five received exactly what they requested. Though they weren't given what they wanted, 19 of 27 groups still ended up with more money than their previous year's budget. Three groups stayed with their budget from the last year, three had decreases and -- two will not receive any money from student fees. "Everything they got is because the committee felt that, yeah it'd be nice to be able to fund those things they're asking for, but they're not actually critical needs, and because they're not asking for critical needs then they'll be able to still be successful and make do with the allocations that they have," said Cody Jones, SFRC co-chair and WSU Student Association president. "It wasn't the intent of the committee to really put any of these departments or organizations in that position where they'd have to suffer." The graduateexam preparation program requested funds in previous years and expected to become self-sufficient eventually, which they did this year and so didn't request money. Delta Epsilon Chi, DEX, requested a budget of $35,500; almost quadruple their previous budget of $8,240. Instead, they were completely cut off from student fees. DEX is a group that competes in national and regional contests. Many SFRC members questioned whether the business- and sales-focused group followed funding requirements for participation by students in different majors. my1w"'u iMu.mi wi;"";" J.',U'J.'n.UJH'.'.w;MUWETOM J li . ill i i.i i i.i l.j i.ii.i.i 111111 .iiu 1. 1. 1, u.i. .1 ....i.i i jiii ....lull 1.1 1 1 l 1.1 1 m i l.i .miiii.uiim y, ' jj 1 'Jt ' 'i 'Pi 1 J I Larry Deppe (back left), Ryan Wolsey, Dallas Bailey and Cody Jones (left to right) discuss how to diwy up student fees at the final SFRC meeting Friday afternoon. The group also failed to submit organization. handle funding requests from records that showed they had Funding for DEX may still academic clubs, participation from students in be possible. The committee various academic areas, and talked of allocating some money weren't just a departmental into WSUSA so that they could ee Fees Pa8e 7 Computer glitches to go Health insurance woes hit students Lynx system implemented campus-wide to improve online programs By MARIA VILLASENOR managing editor The Signpost Some students may have noticed a new look when they applied for scholarships or financial aid online. Since 2001, Weber State University has been slowly phasing in a new computer program to connect the campus, and the last two phases deal with students and financial aid. "The old system for the computers was working just fine, and they decided to change to this new system, which is all jacked up," said Jean-Claude Wicks, a WSU junior who is skeptical about the new SCT Banner system. But that criticism may not be apt concerning the old STAARS system and the new Banner system, which was given the more Weber-appropriate name, Lynx. "It's really quite the opposite. It's we were aware a few years ago that we would have problems and we were trying to swap out the system prior to problems coming up," said Jean Fruth, Lynx project manager, "but it's a long process to replace a system like that and move all that data over and to build the system to Weber's, we call it 'Weberize,' but to Weber's specifications. It takes a long time." Fruth attributed the seasonal Student implementation of Lynx Banner July 2003 to February 2005 Build the system March 2004 to March 2005 Test the System October 2005 to February 2005 Migrate the Data October 2004 to March 2005 Test the System July 2004 to the end of time Train the Campus By KRISTEN HEBESTREET special assignments editor The Signpost computer problems that students saw during registration and the beginning of recent semesters to the. old system built in 1989. The problems were due to damaged files in the system, which occurred from heavy usage. "There was every feeling that the STAARS could handle a certain amount of Web-based registration, we just didn't know where the maximum was, only until we started doing it," said Bruce Bowen, associate provost of enrollment senices See Glitches page 3 What Lorraine Hamra Lee really wants for her birthday this year is health insurance. But the Weber State University English education senior is one of many WSU students without health insurance coverage. The exact number of uninsured WSU students is unavailable, but . a 2001 Utah Health Status Survey Report says men and women age 18 to 34 are the most likely group of people in Utah to lack health insurance coverage. The 2001 report, the most recent data available, shows 15 percent of men ages 18 to 34 and 13 percent of women lack coverage. Most WSU students would fall within that age group. Like many WSU students, Hamra Lee is gambling on good health until she can graduate and get a job. Meanwhile, she is fighting the flu without a doctor. "Oh, I wish I had health insurance," she said. "I wish I had dental insurance, too." WSU quit offering health insurance coverage to its students in August 2003. But the WSU Health Center is paid for through student fees and is available to students and spouses free of charge. This is one of the last health centers in It the country with such a minimal fee, said Juliana Larsen, WSU Health Center director. Larsen said she often refers people to Midtown Community Health Center, which offers medical care on a sliding fee scale to low-income people, or the Weber County Health Department. Referring people does not mean WSU will neip pay tne medical bill, she said. Larsen keeps a collection of student health insurance brochures in her office for historical reference. Back in its heyday in 1999-2000, WSU Student Health Insurance cost a single student $657 per year and had a $250 deductible with a maximum out-of-pocket expense of $4,000. Then the annual premium went up to $696 in 2000-2001, up again to $910 in 2001-2002, and $982 in 2002-2003. Those numbers reflected the double-digit inflation that hit the health care industry nationwide, Larsen said. WSU ended its .student health insurance program due to what an open and unsigned letter on its Web site said were "rapidly escalating costs of the insurance program and the continuing decline of participation by students on this voluntary program." Students complained about the WSU See Health page 1 1

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WtbbK blAlb U IN 1 V fc K b I I Y The Local business partners bleed purple see page 5 MONDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2005 wsusignpost.com VOLUME 67 ISSUE 59 u- -it h $5.7 million in student fees dished out to 25 groups By MARIA VILLASENOR managing editor The Signpost On Saturday, the fourth and final day of Student Fee Recommendation Committee T-r-infif-. -70-7 nnn re.jAnt fees was dispersed between 25 campus organizations. "This is one of the most , difficult years I've been associated with in a long time, and all of you did your jobs well," - said Toni Weight, SFRC co-chair and associate vice president of student affairs. Adding to the difficulty of dividing $5.7 million, the 13-member SFRC worked with about $20,000 less in fees this year than the last because enrollment fell. Most campus organizations requested larger budgets than they had last year. Due to limited funds, only five received exactly what they requested. Though they weren't given what they wanted, 19 of 27 groups still ended up with more money than their previous year's budget. Three groups stayed with their budget from the last year, three had decreases and -- two will not receive any money from student fees. "Everything they got is because the committee felt that, yeah it'd be nice to be able to fund those things they're asking for, but they're not actually critical needs, and because they're not asking for critical needs then they'll be able to still be successful and make do with the allocations that they have," said Cody Jones, SFRC co-chair and WSU Student Association president. "It wasn't the intent of the committee to really put any of these departments or organizations in that position where they'd have to suffer." The graduateexam preparation program requested funds in previous years and expected to become self-sufficient eventually, which they did this year and so didn't request money. Delta Epsilon Chi, DEX, requested a budget of $35,500; almost quadruple their previous budget of $8,240. Instead, they were completely cut off from student fees. DEX is a group that competes in national and regional contests. Many SFRC members questioned whether the business- and sales-focused group followed funding requirements for participation by students in different majors. my1w"'u iMu.mi wi;"";" J.',U'J.'n.UJH'.'.w;MUWETOM J li . ill i i.i i i.i l.j i.ii.i.i 111111 .iiu 1. 1. 1, u.i. .1 ....i.i i jiii ....lull 1.1 1 1 l 1.1 1 m i l.i .miiii.uiim y, ' jj 1 'Jt ' 'i 'Pi 1 J I Larry Deppe (back left), Ryan Wolsey, Dallas Bailey and Cody Jones (left to right) discuss how to diwy up student fees at the final SFRC meeting Friday afternoon. The group also failed to submit organization. handle funding requests from records that showed they had Funding for DEX may still academic clubs, participation from students in be possible. The committee various academic areas, and talked of allocating some money weren't just a departmental into WSUSA so that they could ee Fees Pa8e 7 Computer glitches to go Health insurance woes hit students Lynx system implemented campus-wide to improve online programs By MARIA VILLASENOR managing editor The Signpost Some students may have noticed a new look when they applied for scholarships or financial aid online. Since 2001, Weber State University has been slowly phasing in a new computer program to connect the campus, and the last two phases deal with students and financial aid. "The old system for the computers was working just fine, and they decided to change to this new system, which is all jacked up," said Jean-Claude Wicks, a WSU junior who is skeptical about the new SCT Banner system. But that criticism may not be apt concerning the old STAARS system and the new Banner system, which was given the more Weber-appropriate name, Lynx. "It's really quite the opposite. It's we were aware a few years ago that we would have problems and we were trying to swap out the system prior to problems coming up," said Jean Fruth, Lynx project manager, "but it's a long process to replace a system like that and move all that data over and to build the system to Weber's, we call it 'Weberize,' but to Weber's specifications. It takes a long time." Fruth attributed the seasonal Student implementation of Lynx Banner July 2003 to February 2005 Build the system March 2004 to March 2005 Test the System October 2005 to February 2005 Migrate the Data October 2004 to March 2005 Test the System July 2004 to the end of time Train the Campus By KRISTEN HEBESTREET special assignments editor The Signpost computer problems that students saw during registration and the beginning of recent semesters to the. old system built in 1989. The problems were due to damaged files in the system, which occurred from heavy usage. "There was every feeling that the STAARS could handle a certain amount of Web-based registration, we just didn't know where the maximum was, only until we started doing it," said Bruce Bowen, associate provost of enrollment senices See Glitches page 3 What Lorraine Hamra Lee really wants for her birthday this year is health insurance. But the Weber State University English education senior is one of many WSU students without health insurance coverage. The exact number of uninsured WSU students is unavailable, but . a 2001 Utah Health Status Survey Report says men and women age 18 to 34 are the most likely group of people in Utah to lack health insurance coverage. The 2001 report, the most recent data available, shows 15 percent of men ages 18 to 34 and 13 percent of women lack coverage. Most WSU students would fall within that age group. Like many WSU students, Hamra Lee is gambling on good health until she can graduate and get a job. Meanwhile, she is fighting the flu without a doctor. "Oh, I wish I had health insurance," she said. "I wish I had dental insurance, too." WSU quit offering health insurance coverage to its students in August 2003. But the WSU Health Center is paid for through student fees and is available to students and spouses free of charge. This is one of the last health centers in It the country with such a minimal fee, said Juliana Larsen, WSU Health Center director. Larsen said she often refers people to Midtown Community Health Center, which offers medical care on a sliding fee scale to low-income people, or the Weber County Health Department. Referring people does not mean WSU will neip pay tne medical bill, she said. Larsen keeps a collection of student health insurance brochures in her office for historical reference. Back in its heyday in 1999-2000, WSU Student Health Insurance cost a single student $657 per year and had a $250 deductible with a maximum out-of-pocket expense of $4,000. Then the annual premium went up to $696 in 2000-2001, up again to $910 in 2001-2002, and $982 in 2002-2003. Those numbers reflected the double-digit inflation that hit the health care industry nationwide, Larsen said. WSU ended its .student health insurance program due to what an open and unsigned letter on its Web site said were "rapidly escalating costs of the insurance program and the continuing decline of participation by students on this voluntary program." Students complained about the WSU See Health page 1 1